BASIC Stuff
by Pepper's Ghost
Summary: On March 5, 1981 America get's left alone at England's house. England returns to find the future waiting for him. A historical Hetalia fic. Written for 365 days of USUK drabble calendar but thanks to a happy mishap there was already another author on that day.


Title: BASIC Stuff

Author: Pepper's Ghost (atlas-workbench on tumblr)

Summary: On March 5, 1981 America get's left alone at England's house. England returns to find the future waiting for him. Written for 365 days of USUK drabble calendar.

Warnings: historical hetalia fic, implied unsafe building practices, general tom-foolery, one sexual innuendo, and discussions of (now very old) technology.

X

As much as England hated to be called into the office on one of the few-and-far-between weeks that America was visiting, he'd always found it best not to argue and to try and get the process over as quickly as possible.

With as much determination as he could muster he had ignored the whining, wheedling, and most perfect puppy-dog pout that America could muster and left for work.

Several hours later and yet another problem solved, he was back in his flat ready to face the consequences of leaving America alone for so long.

England checked the kitchen just off of the main hallway first. Despite the light being on in the room all England could find was some poorly hidden evidence of brownie making. He turned the light off when he left and searched the dining room. Again the lights were on and the chairs were not pushed in like England knew he had left them but still no America.

Half circle of the downstairs complete, England was back in the hallway. He briefly though about going upstairs but the sight of the television on caught his eye and he quickly made his way to the living room.

There in the middle of the floor, hunched up close to the TV, was America.

America hadn't noticed his presence yet. England was looking forward to sneaking up on him but when he was little more then two steps away from the hyper-focused American his television screen went wonky.

England let out a small wail over the moving zigzag stripes dancing across the screen.

"What have you done to my television?!" said England.

"Freaking heck Arthur!" America shot back. He had contorted away from the sound behind him, skin white as a sheet, eyes blown wide, hand clutched to his heart. "Way to give me a heart attack!"

Only when America had moved, England realized America had build his brand new ZX81 – a little home computer that just came out on the market that was supposed to help teach you computing.

"You opened my box," said England.

"Well duh," America said. "I read about this in the paper today – big glossy two page ad and everything. I wanted to see what this computer could do. Besides it's not like you were going to build the kit version yourself anyway. While we're on that note how on Earth did you get one? We haven't left the house in forever and it just came out today."

"Yes well," said England. "Often times I get advanced copies of things. Someone got it in their head that if I like something then it might do much better on the market. I don't think the theory holds any stock but it hasn't stopped some people from trying. It's supposed to help me learn basic programming and whatnot."

England closed the distance between them and sat down next to America on the floor. He had to move a few tools out of the way, diplomatically choosing to ignore some new burn marks on his carpet, and got a good look at the device.

"BASIC is kind of cool I suppose," said America. He settled back into a more comfortable position but was still subtly keeping his distance from England incase the other tried to retaliate for any of the number of things America was sure he had done and had messed up. "But I don't like this machine. You have to come up with everything from scratch."

"That's kind of the point," said England. "Computers are only getting better and I don't want to be clueless as to how they work."

"Well I made you a maze game," said America. At least now England was relieved to find that the moving zigzag stripes on his screen had gone away.

"The point was for me to learn it not for you to make me something," said England.

"You wouldn't have been able to do anything with it," said America. "The memory capacity totally sucks. 1kB of lameness. I had to run down to this one bookstore that the ad talked about and pick you up the expanded memory pack or, uh, four."

"You went to the store to get that? Not just send away for it? That's highly unusual."

"I know right!" said America. "It was weird. I kind of like it. Well the store part not the memory part. They're top heavy so they slip out the socket and make you lose all your stuff. Nothing a little chewing gum can't fix though!"

The deadpan glare on England's face instantly sent America backpedaling.

"And we can fix it just as soon as you find your double-sided tape or something. Then no more wobble problem."

"Right. Well," said England. "If you're so keen on the whole thing, show me how it works."

More or less out of the doghouse America threw his arm around England and settled in for an unusual evening.

"But I don't even like this computer," America said.

"And yet you spent the last few hours messing with it."

"So. What's your point?"

"Well I want to learn on something simple so that when computers get better – and they will get better – I won't be left out in the dark when it gets to the point where everything is easy and input ready but then gets a bug or something and I can't fix it myself. Now's a good of time as any to get started. I mean – I didn't find a good enough ship until I was at it for a number of years. But you've got to start somewhere. It's different I know but on the ground level you always have to start with wood."

"Wood huh~"

England slapped America upside the head.

"You set yourself up for that one," said America as he massaged the place England had hit.

"Just show me how to use this contraption or I will bring up the carpet or the distinct lack of brownies left for me."

"Yes sir!"

X

**Author's Note:** A historical Hetalia fic that taught you all about something rather off the wall. This piece is set March 5, 1981 – the day the ZX81 came out. While it did have a number of problems it was very cheap compared to anything else on the market at the time. Many early British programmers cut their teeth on this computer. When it came out in America it was not popular at all. Oddly enough one of the lasting legacies of this computer was it being one of the first (if not _the_ first) over the counter computer (sold in a bookstore chain no less). Before this time folks would have to send away for what they wanted. Just a fun thing to think about when you are next at an Apple Store (or some other tech store). In the fic the zigzag bars Arthur freaked out over were actually the save screen. The title is referencing BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code). Also note in the fic that our dear Arthur hasn't realized that BASIC is an acronym and is using the phrase as a synonym for "simple" or "easy."


End file.
